Police in Tunisia arrested senior opposition activist Ayachi Hammami at his home to begin serving a five-year prison sentence after an appeals court upheld convictions in a sweeping case that targeted dozens of critics of President Kais Saied.
'If you are seeing this video, I have been arrested,' Hammami, who served as minister of human rights in 2020, said in a video posted by his family. 'I have spent years fighting for democracy, freedom and rights. I will turn my cell into a new front of struggle.' He said he planned to start a hunger strike.
Last week's appeals court ruling confirmed prison terms ranging from four to 45 years for roughly 40 people — including opposition leaders, business figures, lawyers and former officials — accused of plotting against state security and attempting to overthrow the government. Around 20 of those charged were tried and sentenced in absentia after leaving the country.
Hammami's arrest follows the detention of fellow activist Chaima Issa, who was held at a protest to begin serving a 20-year sentence in the same case. Security forces are also widely expected to move against Najib Chebbi, head of the National Salvation Front, who received a 12-year term.
Allegations of Political Motive and International Criticism
Opposition figures and observers say the charges — which include attempting to destabilise the state and plotting to topple the government — are fabricated and intended to silence dissent through the courts. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International condemned the convictions as politically motivated and called for the sentences to be annulled.
Amnesty's Deputy Middle East and North Africa Director, Sara Hashash, described the appeals decision as "an appalling indictment of the Tunisian justice system" and said the court ignored extensive fair-trial violations in what she called a 'sham case.'
Critics link the prosecutions to a broader erosion of political checks since President Saied suspended parliament in July 2021 and began ruling by decree. Many of the president's expanded powers were later enshrined in a new constitution after a 2022 referendum that was widely boycotted. A 2022 "fake news" law has also been used to detain journalists, lawyers and activists who criticize the government.
The case, one of the largest political prosecutions in recent Tunisian history, has heightened concerns among rights groups and foreign observers about the shrinking space for dissent and the independence of the judiciary. Prominent figures named in the prosecutions include Jawhar Ben Mbarek, Issam Chebbi, Rached Ghannouchi, former prime minister Ali Larayedh and Abir Moussi.
As Hammami begins his sentence, international scrutiny and domestic alarm are likely to continue as Tunisia's political landscape shifts under increased executive authority.
